Scenes From the Road: Alaska Highway Week Three

On the third week of our Alaska Highway Adventure, we experienced Yukon mining history in Dawson City, drove across the Top of the World, gawked at the stunning scenery of Glenn Highway and ended the week in the beautiful Kenai Peninsula. Alan and I hope you enjoy our photo highlights of Alaska Highway Week Three:

Riverboat on the Yukon River in Dawson City

When gold was discovered near Dawson City in 1896, a stampede of an estimated 100,000 prospectors rushed to the Yukon to claim their share of the riches. Many arrived by riverboats like the one we saw parked on the Yukon River.

Fall color on the Top of the World Highway

Top of the World Highway is a mostly gravel road that travels between Dawson City and the Alaska Highway near Tok. It’s an adventure of a ride on a road with steep drop-offs and no guardrails. Since the highway travels across the crest of the mountains, we truly did feel as if we were driving on top of the world. The caribou that roam this part of the world remained illusive on our rainy drive but the fireweed put on a spectacular display.

Nelchina Glacier is visible from the Eureka Summit

The Glenn Highway travels between Tok and Anchorage, Alaska; and there’s a stunning view at almost every turn. At Eureka Summit, we stopped to photograph Nelchina Glacier, which flows majestically from the Chugach Mountains. Even in the stark noon light, the scene was a beautiful one.

The turquoise blue water of the Kenai River

The Kenai River runs some 82 miles through the Kenai Peninsula from Kenai Lake to Cook Inlet on the Pacific Ocean. The turquoise-blue waters are popular with salmon fishermen. We watched the action from the deck of Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge, our home for 3 nights before boarding the MV Kennicott, an Alaska Marine Highway ferry.